Dirigible



R. A. D. PRESTON.

DIRIGIBLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 191B.

Patented Mar. 1,' 1921.

State of UNITED STATES rATEN oFFicE,

RALPH A. 1). rnnscnon, OFAKRON, oH-Io, AssIGNoR To THE ooonynnnmmn & I RUBBER COMPANY, or AKRON", onto, A con ronnrronjor 01110.

D'IRIGIBLE. a

-Speeificationof Letters-Patent.

Application .filedMarch 11,1918. Serial No. 221 780.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI RALrH A. TON, a citizen of'the United States, resldlng at Akron .in the county of Summit and ful Improvements in Dirigibles, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in dirigibles and more partlcularly to those of the scout type of non-rigid construction. v

It has beenthe custom heretofore, 1n housing dirigibles, to sacrifice hangar space to very light fabric, that may be deflated when.

the dirigible is housed in the'hangar.

Another object is to provide an air 1nflated tail that can be inflated while underway by the ballonet inflating means, or

other means that may be provided therefor.

The above and additional objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, may be accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawing, wherein there has been illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numbers designate corresponding parts:

Figure l is a side elevation of a dirigible of the non-rigid type; and p Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the rear end of the dirigible showing the tail deflated in full lines and inflated in dotted lines.

As previously stated, present day dirigibles of the non-rigid type are usually constructed with a long, pointed tail, which does not in any wayefli'ect the factor or safety but serves only for stream line purposes.

By my present invention I propose to cut,

off this tail preferably at about the line hio, have invented new and use- Patented Mani, 19271..

A- B in 1,-and to-substitute a long,

conical Sl1&1j6(l.j t&ll I0f0f very light con-v struotion adapted to be air inflated during flight or before flight,jby any suitablemeanafi. as, for example, connection gto the ballonet loons. A valvell ofany provlded forconnectionto the inflationsysterm or to any suitable blowerpump or other air supply, (not shown in the drawings).

suitable ;construction It'will be understood that-a suit-ableoend closure '12 will be' employed to effectively sealthe endofthe gas bag proper to retain the gas within the bag'and maintain the required configuration ofthe bag. 1

.Fromthe foregoing-it will be apparent.

that I have, provided an efiicient stream-line tail that may be deflated toper'mit the dirigible to be, housedin a smaller and moreec'o-w nomicalhangar, For-example, a popular type of dirigible now used and known as the Navy Scout type? is usually about.1 21 feet in length over all, ofwhich about twenty one feet is used for stream line purposes and is not essential to the lift of the dirigible. By using my improved structure, the same dirigible can be housed in a hundred foot hangar, and the costly gas and hangar space, which would otherwise be used, saved.

It will be understood that, although I have described and illustrated one particular design of tail, I do not wishto be limited to that particular design nor to the proportions quoted in the example given. 1 also wish it to be understood that I may use other means of inflation than those men tioned without departing from thescope of the appended claims.

It is further-to be understood that, while in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the deflatable tail is secured in a, relatively ermanent manner to the gas bag body, t e tail may, if'desired or deemed expedient, under special conditions, be connected to the body of the gas bag by a means of a nature to permit qulck detachment of the tail portion. I

It will also be apparent that while in the preferred use of my invention I inflate the tail portion with air, suitable gas maybe employed for the same purpose without deof my invention, as defined in the appended claims. 7

What I claim is:

1. A gas bag for lighter-than-air craft, comprising an inflatable body portion, and a collapsible tail portion connected to the end of said body portion, said tail portion being deflatable and inflatable independently of said body'portion. I

2. A gas bag for lighter than air craft, comprising a gas inflated bodyportion and a tail portion connected to the body portion, said tail portion being adapted to be inflated when the craft is in use, to form a continuation of stream lines of the body portion and being also adapted to be deflated when the craft is not in use, whereby the over-all dimensions of the craft may be materially reduced, without deflating the body portion of the gas bag, to accommodate the craft to housing in a space of less length than the normal length ofthe craft in flight.

3. A gas bag for lighter-than-air craft,

comprising a normally inflated body portion,

and an independently collapsible tail portion connected to the end of said body portion to form a continuation of the lines of said body portion, and having its interior separate and sealed against communication with the interior of said body portion, and

means whereby the tail portion may be inflated or deflated independently of said body lportion.

gas bag for lighter-than-air craft,

' name in the presence a. A. D. PRESTON-.37,

comprising a normally inflated stream-line 1 body portion, and an independently collapsible tail portion connected. to the end of said body portion and forming, when inflated, a continuation of the stream lines of said body portion, said tail portion lying wholly outside said body portion and being inflatable and deflatable independently of said body portion.-

5. The combination of a dirigible gas-bag body of stream line form,and a collapsible tail secured to the end of said body and out of communication therewith, the lines of said tail forming a continuation of the stream lines of said body,a valve in said tail whereby said tail may be inflated and deflated independently of said body portion. i

6; The combination of a diri'gible gasbag body,of stream line form and closed at both ends, a collapsible tail secured to 'the 7 rear end of said body, said tail being entirely 7 outside said body and out of communication therewith, the lines of said tail forming a continuation of the stream lines of said ently of said body portion. I

In witness whereof I have signed my of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

- B. J. MCDANEL,

R. S.,TROGNER.. 

